Desperate Measures
by Jprowant
Summary: Grace is a young women running away from a forced marriage. On the way she meets Maude, a young women like her. As Maude and Gracie make their way across the wild lands of America, Maude's enraged cousin, Damien is following her and her lovely new friend
1. Chapter 1

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter 1 **

_Richmond, Virginia, 1899_

Grace Landon awoke, hearing the sound of her newest ladies maid Maude Manson outside her door (Probably spilling her bath water). Maude entered, tripping on the doorstep.

"Morning, Miss" Maude said, with her proper British accent.

Maude was newly hired not too many weeks ago… She wasn't rather suitable for the job Gracie thought. Maude was fair-haired with brown eyes as rich as soil and an ideal complexion, most definitely not the maid-type.

"Good morning Maude." Grace yawned, sitting up at the same instance Sarah Landon; Gracie's younger sister came crashing through the door.

Her dear sister was the tender age of 14 but was much more mature then most youth. Sarah had the same red curls as herself and their mother's blue-sapphire eyes.

"Gracie Marie Landon, get your bottom out of bed! You're newly betrothed is going to be downstairs waiting for you if you don't hurry up." Sarah said, standing with a hand on her hip.

Grace yawned more, rolling her eyes and fell back against the soft mattress, pulling the blankets over her head groaning out "Noooo…and did you have to come booming in here at the crack of dawn?"

"Yesss…" Sarah sarcastically groaned back. "You know mother would be cross, if you aren't ready by time your new fiancé arrives!"

Grace detested that word "fiancé" and still couldn't quite get it through her cranium that her mother, Celia Landon had arranged a marriage with a man Grace didn't even know…or love. She had always thought she'd walk down the aisle for love, not wealth. Recently her parents had told her that they were penniless and had to arrange the marriage with Daniel Tottington. He was the son of a wealthy Merchant; he had seen Grace during one of their numerous social gatherings given by the Boyd's, celebrating Thomas Boyd's 21st birthday. Thomas was a close friend of the Landon family and one of Gracie's best and loyal friends growing up.

Once she was dressed she hurried downstairs, almost sliding on the throw rug at the bottom. Slightly giggling, she lifted her chin then squared her shoulders, calmly striding into the den. Daniel was standing by the hearth while her mother sat on the settee, warily sipping her morning coffee.

"Good morning dear daughter" she almost choked out, putting on one of her counterfeit smiles.

"Good morning mother" she replied back softly, looking over at Daniel, studying him.

He looked back but didn't say anything as if he was anxious. Daniel had light blue eyes and brown wavy hair, he wasn't the most handsome man, but he was boyishly attractive. Her mother broke up her thoughts saying "Oh, Daniel! As you know this is my daughter Grace…ahem...Dearest. Say hello to Mr. Tottington".

So she did as her mother asked the whole morning. She chit-chatted with the tedious Mr. Tottington, invited the dreary Mr. Tottington over for dinner and even had to kiss the dull man on the chops. It was the worst kiss she had ever received: it was slimy and just…JUST…HORRIBLE!! All she wanted to do was weep. All of this was happening so fast, there was a whirlwind of things happening! She had to try and break out of this marriage. She hurried to her room just as a tear shed. She lay at her bed for a couple hours until Maude came awkwardly through the door.

"Poor gal, don't fret. I know what you're thinking…the man is a bloody turn off, right?" Maude said. And Gracie giggled a little

"I don't want to wed him. I'm awfully worried" she sniffed.

Maude came and sat by her side "I know how you feel, that's why I left my home and came here."

"Really?" said Grace.

"Definitely, I couldn't marry someone I didn't care for, I 'disobediently' left" she said.

Grace sat up and rubbed her eyes and stared at Maude. Where you upper class, over in England? Cause you're certainly not the working type" she questioned. Maude stiffened and turned a tad red saying "I...err…perhaps?"

"Maude! You aren't fitting to be a maid at all, let me tell father and he'll see that you stay—"

"NO!" Maude screeched "You mustn't, if anyone heard of my location then they'd certainly take me back to that--… man."

Grace was stunned. Poor Maude was in the same circumstances as herself. "I won't tell a body Maude, I swear"

"Thank goodness. I didn't think you would but, thank goodness." Maude said taking a gulp of air, standing up then departing.

When Maude left, leaving Grace to her thoughts. She thought about seeing Mr. Tottington at dinner tonight and shivered. The man was a slobbering oaf, but perhaps she could get used to him? After Grace was finished dressing and thinking about her cad-of-a-fiancé, she descended down the stairs in a dress of aqua silk, trimmed with black lace; she also wore a black pearl necklace with diamonds set between them.

When she got to the central point of the stairway she heard raised voices from below. As she walked into the dinning room she seen Maude standing with her fists clutched at her sides glaring at a man in black, her mother with a napkin at her lips and white as a sheet (probably ready to faint) and her father Rick Landon, whose face was crimson with rage. Her father Rick was a military man, he had a tough exterior and a hallow interior. Grace and Sarah had strict lives and hardly got away with anything. She spotted Mr. Tottington sitting low in his chair, looking uninterested as usual. Grace looked back at the man in black. He had black hair that had tints of red glowing through as the fire light hit it, and the most intense green eyes, which were concentrating on her. She couldn't seem to look away, blushing slightly she asked "Maude, who is this?"

Maude gulped a bit and croaked out "My cousin."

He advanced forward and said "Forgive my dear cousin. My name is Damien Stratford."

After he spoke her father stood up and said "What the wretched hell is going on Maude?!"

"Sorry Mr. Landon …it's just that…um—

"She has fled away from home, Sir. And her betrothed has been troubled sick about her" Damien said.

Maude muttered something unintelligible, her cheeks flush red.

"I knew the lass wasn't a maid" her father said

"That's correct, she's to be a Duchess and I'm here to take her home… to her fiancé." Damien replied.

Grace looked back at her father and said "You mustn't let him take her back father! She doesn't feel any affection for him."

Her father scowled at her and yelled "You and love girl! You don't understand it. It's all about money these days. There aren't such things as love."

"You should pay attention to your father girl, he's right" Damien said grinning.

Grace glared at him, and then to her father onto her mother "I suppose I'm to be sold like chattel! And same with poor Maude! It isn't right." She grabbed Maude's hand and pulled her along, going up to her bedroom.

When they reached her room Maude said "I can't believe Damien has found me!"

"It'll be alright Maude, we'll get through it. We need to think of ways to run away from our marriages"

"Maybe we can take a vessel to China!" Maude said enthusiastically.

"Oh dear, China! No no no…You just can't keep running off to different countries, Maude"

"I'm not! You're going to come with me this time, right?"

"How can I? My parents are bankrupt and desolate without me."

"This is so difficult. Why are there even arranged marriages?" Maude cried.

"I guess desperate times come to desperate measures Maude, as they say."

"I've got an idea!" Maude said,

"What's that then?"

"I can sneak out your window; while you go downstairs and divert Damien and your father by saying that I'm in your room and need time to think."

"That's brilliant Maude!"

"Then we can meet up on Brookside Alley later in the evening, I doubt Damien even knows where that is! After we meet there we can make plans to what were going to do next."

"Sounds like a good plan, partner!" said Grace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

As Maude was out the window and running down the street, Gracie was facing Damien and her father. Lying was harder then she thought. She's never lied to anybody before.

"Where's my cousin, Grace?" Damien asked.

"In my bedroom, she needed time to think" Grace said hesitantly. Damien stared at her with a look of annoyance.

"She isn't in your room! Did you think I would be so thick? I know my dear cousins escape plans." Damien said while pounding up the stairs, opening Gracie's bedroom door, and looking in. Grace yelling "You've no business going into my room, Sir!" following him. Damien turned around with an irritated look on his face and said "Where'd she go girl?!"

"My name is Grace Landon, Miss Landon to you if you please!"

"Alright, Misses Landon. Where'd she go?!" Damien yelled.

"Why? I don't have any idea what you're talking about" Gracie said innocently.

"Do not act dim with me Miss Landon"

"Then don't be so callous with me!" Grace replied.

Just then Grace's father Rick stepped into the room saying "Now stop the yelling you two, we've got company. Poor mans scared out of his wits."

"I doubt that father. He most likely doesn't even notice what's going on around him."

"Don't talk about your Betrothed like that dear." said her father calmly.

"You like him so much you marry him! Now, get out of my room, the both of you!" Grace said pushing them out and closing the door behind her. She had to get to Brookside Alley as soon as she could. She put a wrap on and started climbing out her window. When she reached the bottom she felt someone grab her sides and pull her against them and say

"Going somewhere, Misses Landon?"

It was Damien's voice. "How dare you! Get out of my way I need to be somewhere." She said struggling out of his arms.

He would not let her go.

"Going somewhere? With no escort? Tis not safe in the dark for a young lady of your stature—"

"Yes, I do as I please. It's America you know." Grace growled out. Still in his arm, Damien turned her around to get a better look at her staring into those deep sea blue eyes.

"Yes, I know its America, I've a bloody yank in my arms" he said grinning.

Grace pushed at his chest "For the last time, let me go sir."

"Not until you tell me where my cousin went."

"Fine, she took a train to California, to make a new life." Gracie said looking down, not wanting Damien to catch her fib. She didn't know how much more of this lying she could do.

"Great! Thanks a lot Miss Landon" He said kissing her on the lips gently. Grace froze then pinked, ready to slap the rogue. Raising her hand, he caught it and kissed her on the palm then ran off towards the docks. Grace smiled; she had duped the wretched man. When she seen that he had turned the corner, she ran the opposite way towards Brookside Alley. As Grace got closer she saw Maude peeking out of the shadows chewing on her bottom lip. "Maude sweetheart, it's too late to be worried. And stop that chewing of your bottom lip, you'll bite it off sooner or later, oh lord I sound like my mother" Grace said lightly. "I've a bad feeling their going to catch us! We might as well give up!" cried Maude as she paced back and forth now giving her Fingernails attention with the chewing. "We've naught done anything yet Maude! How can we give up so easily, and look, I've only known you a short while… How long have you been at _this_ anyhow?"

"Uh, only a tiny short while, uh, maybe?" Maude squeaked.

"Either you're a fantastic liar or you're actually telling the truth, and I think you're the liar bit, minus the fantastic." Grace said, standing in front of Maude, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "I want to help you, I want to help us. But the only way to do so is if we are honest to one another, agreed?" Asked Grace, smiling a little. Maude stared at her a minute and smiled back with a nod. Grace looked around and seen a hired coach parked just a little a ways down the road. "Come on let's get going."


End file.
